Business Scaling with Passion: Business Lessons from Men’s Ice Hockey Coach Greg Powers at Arizona State University
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On the inaugural episode of Stewards of Success, hosts Jeff Breese and Brent Mekosh of The Wealth Stewards sit down with Greg Powers, head coach of Arizona State University’s men’s ice hockey team, about his journey transforming the organization from a club-level program to a top 20 Division 1 program.
An ASU alumnus and former goalie, Powers recounts the unique path over the last 18 years that led to the ascension to D1 and leadership lessons he learned and stayed true to along the way, including:
- Passion and Focus: Powers shares how his passion for the sport, his players, and the relationships he built kept him grounded. By focusing on what he could control and leaning on the support of those who believed in him, rather than the naysayers, he stayed motivated to elevate a dominant club program to a Division 1 organization.
- Creating Buy-In as a Leader: Powers took the opportunity to build from scratch, transforming what was a fledgling organization and empowering players to take ownership of the shared vision they were building together.
“Be the tradition” became the mantra among team members. It was also a powerful message to prospective recruits that they weren’t joining an established program but were helping shape a legacy and create something that had never been done before.
- Staying True to Core Values Through Growth: When presented with the opportunity and financial support to scale to D1, Powers admittedly made mistakes. In a rush to elevate the team, he made leadership changes he thought matched their new status. However, he soon felt something was off.
A candid conversation with trusted players reminded him of the core values that fueled their success from day one: passion, connection, and belief. The feedback brought him back to center, and success followed.
Powers has been part of the Sun Devils’ athletics program for 18 years, including 11 years as head coach of the men’s hockey team. He led the team to an ACHA national championship in 2014. He later played an integral role in securing funding to transition the program to NCAA Division 1 and the development of the school’s ice hockey facility, Mullet Arena. Under his leadership, the team is now poised to compete in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. For many years, in addition to coaching, Powers also built and ran a successful executive search firm.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about Powers’ story, what he learned along the way, the risks he took, and the future of ASU’s men’s hockey team.